Sand 'n' Dirt
by Crusnik Cain
Summary: My second YYH fic! Coming out of retirment, Yusuke and co. have a new mission. Demons are planning on stealing documents saying humans can't be harmed. Vote on pairings (because I'm lazy)
1. Ye Olde Deserted City

Hello, and welcome to...another story by the great, ame-tennyo!!!

Sad Walk Woman: Her second Yu Yu Hakusho fan fiction.

Happy Dance Man: ACTION!!! It is fun to write action!!!

How would YOU know?

Happy Dance Man: ...Moo?

Super Titles: Oh, yes, ame-tennyo owns Yu Yu Hakusho alright. It turns out she is a direct decendent of Yoshihiro Togashi, and will inherit it when he dies...HAHAHA!!! You wish.

I'm American. Wouldn't I have to be of even loose Asian decent to be even loosely related to the great Togashi-sama? All I know that is in me is British and Indian...or Native American...or American Indian. Whatever the hell they're calling them these days.

Chapter One...Ye Olde Deserted City

Lazzocelatt (Latt-ZO-sel-lat), a one thriving city in the horrid desert of Makai. Yes, ONCE thriving. A small grassy plain, turned dirt and sand by the elements. Indeed, wind, water, and fire WERE much like a demon in themselves in Makai. (Wind, water, and fire created naturally, not by demons) All the citizens that could abondoned the place when the first signs of danger aproached. The rest; died. By disease brought by the winds of other lands (By the water as well), suffocation from the built up sand, and spontanious combustion from the new heat waves.

Why am I explaining this all to you, you ask?

"Come on! What kinda stupid demon would hide out here to scheme a plan to steal the documents that say "demons can't harm humans" from Reikai?" asked a very digruntled Yusuke as he walked along a sand hill to get to the entrance of the city,"Oh, God. I'm talkin' to myself! This heat's driving me insane!" with that, he threw off his backpack (containing clothes and emergency food Which was missing a pack a chips already). He grabbed the collar of his shirt a fanned his neckline with it by shaking it,"Phew!...I wonder when Kuwabara's gettin' here...He said he'd leave once he said his goodbyes to Yukina...Maybe I shoulda gone with him; it's his third trip to Makai, but it's the first one he's actually gone alone..."

In a few minutes, Yusuke finally came to the gates of the city. He walked right up to the huge doors and placed a palm on either one. He gave a little push, but the door was eroded from years of miscare. He pushed a little harder; nothing,"Come on, you stupid piece a crap," he backed up a bit and rammed his palms into the doors.

BAM!!!

The doors slide open, swung all the way back to the inside walls, and bounced off them a little. Yusuke stumbled a bit, with the absence of the wall to hold his weight, but stood up straight. He looked around and was...not quite impressed,"Town's a crappy as the door..."

Lo and behold, broken houses all along a main road was all Yusuke could see. But he knew, that in one of them, were demons; the enemy.

Yusuke started his trip into the depths of the town, he feet sometimes sinking in deep piles of sand. He continues to scan his surroundings, and sees that only a few buildings were in one piece. Those buildings' windows were completely covered in a fine sheet of dirt.

_Hm...If we have to stay for the night, we'll find the best shelter in one of those...No one will be able to see us...Unless we happen to pick the one THEIR sleeping in..._ (Yusuke? Planning ahead? gasp Who'da thunk it?)

Suddenly, Yusuke stopped. He sensed that he would have regreted it if he had taken another step. He crouched down and cautiously swiped away some dirt from a particular spot in front of him. Sure enough, a section of a rope was uncovered. Yusuke tugged at the rope. The dirt shifted as he pulled higher, showing the hanyou that it went all the way across the street, in both directions. When Yusuke finally got to the height that a foot goes before desending, and the rope tightened.

WOOSH!!!

"ARGH!!!" Yusuke jumped back (which was difficult, being in a crouched position and all) and blades came out of dirt covered holes in the sides of the buildings on either side of him. They stabbed into the walls opposite, a little lower than their counterparts' launching hole, due to gravity. Yusuke paused a few moments and stood up, then walked to his left. He inspected the blades on this side,"Of course...," he muttered. They were tipped in poisen.

"OI!!! URAMESHI!!!" cried an oh-so familair voice. Yusuke turned around and saw Kuwabara running toward him from the direction of the gates. He was pulling along his own backpack.

"Yo!" Yusuke answered, then happened to look down at Kuwabara's feet at just the right moment,"GET DOWN!!!"

"Huh?" Kuwabara looked down, and saw he was about to step on a mine (which Yusuke luckily avoided earlier). But it was too late, his foot already had half his weight pressing down on it. Kuwabara jumped off it, causing it to explode. Both Reikai Tantei were blown back.

After a few dozen coughs, Yusuke stood up and saw Kuwabara was okay. The orange-head walked around the blackened dirt and made his way to Yusuke,"Not very safe here, is it?"

"No shit, Sherlock."

They both continued Yusuke's path. Kuwabara was the first to break the silence,"So, uh, has Kurama or Hiei come yet?"

"Does it look like they did?"

"You'd figure Hiei'd be here first, what with living here and all..."

"Probably got delayed by Mukuro."

"Yeah."

THISISTHEENDOFTHISCHAPTER

YIPPEE! Chapter one done! Hope you like it! (Hiei and Kurama coming next chapter)

BTW, there is optional shonen-ai...Vote on it!

Please review!


	2. Butterflies

TWO!!!

Amazing, ne?

...No?

Well...YOU SUCK!!! (not really)

Anyway...um, yeah...just imagine a disclaimer here...remember...Im-a-gin-naaa-tion (like on Spongebob with the rainbow).

Um, vote-wise...One vote for Hiei/Botan...One vote for Yusuke/Kurama...One vote for Kurama/Yukina...One vote for Kurama/Shizuru...One vote for Kurama/Hiei. Which means the winner so far is...NO ONE!!! Astonishing. Hm...Kurama's quite the whore, ne?

Kurama: I find that offensive.

Yes, but you can't help it if the readers like you with a diverse number of people. You can only be with two people at a time!!! (one for Yoko one for Shuichi)

Note: Erm, I don't think Shizuru will be in this story, I like her, but, she just doesn't have anything to do with the storyline. Also, Botan and Yukina will be in the story, but not, like,_ in_ it...Meep?

Let's hear it for Mary Sue's!!!

Reviewers: crickets ... cough cough ...You suck!!!

Ahahaha...Just kidding! I HATE MARY SUES!!! They must ALL die a slow, painful death!!! Yes, some OCs are very well based in their personality, I admit, but...THEY MAKE A MOCKERY OF THE BISHONENS THEY'RE PLACED WITH!!! GRRR!!! Die, die, die!!!

Ahh...Now that I'm nice and vented...

Chapter Two...Butterflies

Kuwabara and Yusuke have been scanning the city for quite some time, now, and it was really getting on one of their nerves.

"GRRR!!! We should have at least traced some energy by now! How weak are these demons, that we can't feel them?!" cried Yusuke, as he threw his bag to the ground, and sat cross-legged.

"Maybe they're masking themselves...," suggested Kuwabara, who sat down next to his friend.

"I think I've grown strong enough to overcome that, Kuwabara..."

"How am I s'pose to know that?!"

"Oh, right, you're human...Sorry for my ignorance, oh, Great Orange-Top."

"Do you want to be killed?!" asked Kuwabara.

"HA! Like you could!" challenged Yusuke. They stood in front of one another and glared eachother down.

"Is this the smartest thing to be doing?" asked a cool, calm voice from Yusuke's left,"We _are_ here for business reasons, after all..."

Yusuke and Kuwabara look to see Kurama standing a few yards away from them,"How did-? When did-? STOP CONFUSING MEEEE!!!" cried Kuwabara.

"Sorry to cause confusion, Kuwabara-kun," laughed Kurama,"I got here about the time you did..."

"Them why didn't you reveal yourself?" asked Yusuke as he stood up.

"URAMESHI! You want him to _reveal_ himself?! I didn't know you were _that_ way! What about Keiko, huh?!" asked Kuwabara stupidly, standing up as well.

"You dumbass! That's not what I meant!" yelled Yusuke. The two sarted to argue some more. Kuwabara got Yusuke in a head-lock, and Yusuke was trying to punch him. Kurama just stood there,"Um...Stop?"

"Let the bakas be, fox," said a deep voice from way up high. Kurama turned and saw Hiei sitting on top of a nearby building; his face lit up,"Hiei-kun...You're here too, I see."

Yusuke stopped in mid-brawl to see who Kurama was talking to,"YO! 'sup, Hiei?"

"Hiei?" asked Kuwabara, who looked up,"SHRIMP?! How did-? When did-? STOP CONFUSING MEEEE!!!"

Hiei jumped down and stood next to Kurama,"I got here way before you did...," he said, as the boys detangled themselves from the other,"You know, it's much fun to see you stupidly stepping on obvious traps."

"Nani?!" shouted Kuwabara,"Are you trying to say we're dumb, chibiyaro?!"

"Oh? Didn't you hear me? You're I-DI-OTS."

"GRR!!! You'll regret making The Great Kuwabara Kazuma The Man mad, shrimp!" barked Kuwabara.

Kuwabara went to punch Hiei, but only managed to hit air...then the ground. Hiei, who was now three yards behind Yusuke, Hn'ed, and started walking off in the directions Yusuke had been going oridginally.

"Hey, where're you going?" asked Yusuke, as Kurama went to help Kuwabara up.

"Away from the rest of you; It's been one glorious year without your presence, and now I can't even stand five seconds with you," stated Hiei, as he flitted off somewhere.

Yusuke happened to look at Kurama (who was now standing up straight; along wth Kuwabara) at just the right time,'Why's he look so sad that Hiei left?...Wait, why am I sad that he's sad? Whoa, I just confused myself...'

"Yusuke?" asked Kurama, knocking Yusuke out of his stupor,"Huh? What is it?"

"You're...staring at me...," was the fox's reply.

"Oh? What's this?" asked Kuwabara mockingly,"Is that..._lust_ in your stare?"

"Shut up! You wouldn't know lust if danced in front of you naked!" snorted Yusuke. Kurama sweatdropped,'That wasn't the best analogy you could have thought of, Yusuke,' he thought.

OOOOOOOOO

That night. The three had found a house that was in fairly good shape. It even had a door! (Most had rugs hung over the doorway; of would it be rugway?),"Excellent! No one will find us here! And when we find them, we can sneak attack them easily!," stated Kuwabara, as he got ready for sleep (They were going to take turns keeping watch).

"Unless, of course, they open the door," Yusuke added sarcastically. The room was rather small; Kuwabara's head was right in front of the doo,"And if the do, Kuwabara will act as alarm!"

"That's not funny, Urameshi," growled Kuwabara.

"Yeah, says you," laughed Yusuke,"Alright, who's going first?"

"I will," suggested Kurama,"I don't think I'll be able to sleep for awhile..."

"Alright!" chirped Kuwabara, who promtly fell asleep. Yusuke sweatdropped, then turned to Kurama,"You sure? 'Cuz, I mean, you look tired, man. I can go first."

"No, no...It's alright...," Kurama soothed. Then Yusuke shrugged and settled in for sleep. Kurama moved to the window once Yusuke's breathing evened, signaling sleep. He pushed the tattered curtain out of the way, and stared outside.

The city truly looked like a ghost town at night. Dark, and broken, and full of bad memories. Kurama looked up at the sky. It was pitch black, with the brightest of stars shining back at the fox. Not like in Ningenkai, where pollution always covered the stars. He had always flirted with the idea of going back to Makai for good, if only to see the skies as thus for the rest of his life. But, no, that wasn't a good enough reason to leave his new family for good...was it?

Kurama closed his eyes for a few seconds, then reopened them, and found him self scanning the top of the buildings. Searching for Hiei, perhaps? Kurama laughed quietly to himself. He then closed the curtain, and sat dowm, his back to the window.

Several hours later, Yusuke snorted and woke up, and saw Kurama searching for something in his backpack. Yusuke looked to the curtain, and saw light filtering through the rips. Yusuke sat up straight,"Morning?! Kurama, you've stayed up all night?!"

He saw Kurama flinch out of the corner of his eye (he was still staring at the window). He guessed he had spoken rather loud, and Kurama had gotten used to the quiet during the night. He turned to face the fox,"Oh, so you're awake?" Kurama asked.

"Why'd you stay up the whole time?" Kurama didn't answer, 'Stayed up, hoping Hiei would come?' Yusuke thought, then for some odd reason felt jealous. Why? What was going on?!

"Yusuke?" Kurama's voice tore him out of his stupor again.

"Huh?"

"You're staring at me again..."

"Uh, sorry...I'll wake the idiot up," Yusuek said, to change the subject, then got out of his sleeping area. He shook Kuwabara's shoulder several times, then ended up kicking him in the gut,"ITAI!!! K'SO! Yusuke no Yaro!!!" cried the "idiot". Kurama laughed slightly, and for some reason, Yusuke felt proud of him self. The three cleaned up there stuff, and prepared to search the city.

"Split up?" asked Yusuke.

"That seems the wisest choice...This place in rather large...," said Kurama.

"Yoshi! I'll go this way," cried Kuwabara, and he walked off in a random direction.

OOOOOOOOO

Hiei was flitting from building to building. He had been doing so for several hours, ever since he thought Kurama had seen him in his perch on the building opposite the one they were sleeping in. Why did he run away when he saw those emerald eyes come close to seeing him? It was a question he had been trying to answer, but came up empty every time. It was really frustrating. Ever since Kurama acknowlegded his presence in the city, Hiei had strange feelings in his stomach. "Butterflies" as he heard the fox put it once...

"Damn it all!" Hiei shouted to himself; he was getting off track. Back to the job at hand...

THISISTHEENDOFTHISCHAPTER

WOOT! It sorta looks Yusuke/Kurama (one-sided) and Hiei/Kurama doesn't it? That's because it is! Every chapter will be different, depending on which pairing is winning. These two were the only ones that would work in this particular chapter.

As a reminder, you can vote more than once! (One per chapter, please!)

Review, please.


	3. Caring Silently

Konnichi-wa (or Ohayo, if it's morning), minna-sama!

Here are the statistics: Hiei/Botan (2) Yusuke/Keiko (2) Kurama/Yukina (2) Kurama/Shizuru (2) Kurama/Hiei (3)... Which means... Hiei and Kurama are the pair for this chappie! Hoorah and Hooray to those who voted for them!

Note (that isn't really relivant to much): The whole Kurama/Yusuke thing last chapter was just a little experimenting I was doing. I know I said that someone voted for it, but that's just because I'm a baka onna who sometimes doesn't go over her writing! xD Why did I choose Yusuke/Kurama? Look, it was either that or... Hiei/Kuwabara (it was a challenge from my sister, okay?), which would YOU choose? Anyway, that pairing shall stop, as of now.

Note (that _is_ relivant): I like to go by what really is in the series, depending on what it is... So, Yusuke and Keiko are married! (Oops, I guess I should have said there was a spoiler here... Oh, well!) Kids?... Um, it depends on what you think, personally! o

Anyway, yeah, voting ends this chapter, so... vote however many times you like!

Chapter Three...Caring Silently

The town was divided into three basic parts. Level One: Contains the main doors to the city and what used to be lower class homes. Yusuke is in charge of scoping out this level today. Level Two: Containing upper class homes and the bell tower. Kuwabara is stationed at the tower to have a bird's eye view of the city. I am to check out everything else out. Level Three: Uncertain buildings containg mysterious objects within them are here. We assume Hiei is there.

Kurama sighed as he went over today's plan. Yusuke (with Kurama's help) came to the conclusion that it would be safer to search for the enemy in the daylight, for some races of demon could do odd things in the moonlight. Yusuke took the responsiblilty of looking over the first level after learning (thanks to Kurama) that the enemy would most likely be there. Kuwabara took the tower because... he'd never fought demons in ficinities as this, and it would be better for him up there. Kurama took level two out of curiosity.

An unrelenting wind blew past, forcing Kurama to cover his face to protect from grains of sand. When it was over and he removed the arm, he saw into an alleyway and saw at the end it seemed to have an odd glow to it. Kurama looked toward the sun, and saw it now covered by clouds, darkening the alley enough to allow the fox to see this. Kurama cautiosly headed toward the said alley.

OOOOOOOO

Hiei was indeed on the third level. He kicked open several of the building/huts to see that they were magazines for weaponry,"Ch... It's empty," he mumbled as he walked inside. He kneeled down close to a darkened spot and ran a finger over it. He brought this finger up to his nose and sniffed. He immidialty removed it and rubbed the imposing powder off,"Maybe not just for weapons...," he stood up and looked around some more.

What he had found was the youkai equivelent of cocaine. And as it is for sake, it is much, much, much more potent. He had gotten addicted accidently as a child before, he wasn't going to again. The stuff always messed his train of thought up severely.

Hiei stopped in his tracks as he saw the decaying body of what used to be a youkai in the back of the magazine. He walks up to it and sees it is still alive. He pokes it rather hard in the ribs with the tip of his boot,"Oi, wake up."

The youkai coughs repeatedly for a few seconds, and looks up with red, swollen eyes at Hiei,"Please... No more...," it practically cried.

Hiei kneeled next to it,"I don't now what you mean, but if it has to do with the obvious signs of torture on you, I wont do anything if you answer something for me," the youkai's response was ragged breathing, so Hiei asked,"The people who harmed you, where are they? Are they in this city?"

"Yes... They're on the middle level last I knew... They might have moved...," the youkai coughed once more.

"The middle level...," Hiei repeats,"That's where...," Hiei leans in close to the half dead corpse,"Where are they? Exactly?"

"Behind a group of buildings... But as I've said before, it might be out-dated infor... informa...," the youkai's life ended before he finished his sentence. Hiei stared for several seconds, then stood up and ran out toward where Kurama is.

OOOOOOOO

Kurama skipped back as he saw what was at the end of the alley. It was the entire band of the enemy. Kurama peaked around the corner and listened to their conversation.

"Captain...," a young youkai said as he stared over the light green fire that was lit,"When do you intend to start the raid?"

"As soon as we take care of our guests," answered the obvious captain.

"Why? We could just as easily sneak around them," stated a woman.

"This is the son of Raizen we're talking about, not some punk off the street. Now shut your trap, woman!" the captain yelled.

"H-hai," the woman squeaked.

"You're absolutly certain that that's him down there?" asked another youkai.

"No doubt about it."

The band sat in shared silence until one started to sniff the air,"What is it?" the captain asked.

"I smell human... Close by," the youkai answered.

Kurama gasped silently and hid back into the shadows of the alley as the band looked in his direction. He heard there agreements to the smell and move backwards as he heard them come closer.

"Odd... It's intermixed with... Youko?"

Kurama slinked back even more until he was pulled backwards into a door he had over looked when walking through the alley. He landed on his back, trying to hold in a cry of the pain this caused.

"What was that!"

"Let's check it out..."

Kurama heard the youkai run, thankfully, past the door's opening. They didn't see the fox in the darkness of the room. Kurama sighed in relief, only to realize the presence of another. He prepared to attacked, and turned around,"Hiei!" his cry was cut off by the jaganshi's hand over his mouth.

_"Baka,"_ Hiei said through telepathy_,"Cry out now, and they'll know where you are."_

Kurama just knodded, and sat back cross-legged to watch Hiei slip into deep concentration. After a few seconds,"They're gone," Hiei stated, then looked at Kurama, causing the fox to blush slighlty,"...You're blushing."

Kurama turned away,"It's just a trick of the low lighting..."

"Right, sure," Hiei stood up, and offered his hand to Kurama,"We should check out their base while they're gone."

Kurama hesitantly took the hand and was pulled up. The pair walked out and went to the enemy's nearby base.

"The idiots...," Hiei said.

"Yes, they should have left someone here, instead of leaving ther lair wide open," Kurama agreed. Kurama looked around a bit, then turned back to Hiei. He noticed an odd smell upon the jaganshi,"Hiei... Have you been... Sniffing coke?" the fox asked, stepping closer to make sure of the smell.

Hiei sighed hurridly,"It was in the weapon magazines on the top level. Why're you sniffing me? You trying to get high, too?"

"What do mean "too"? You were sniffing, weren't you?" Gods, it was fun to make fun of the cute little youkai.

"No!" Hiei hissed,"Now shut up, and get back to being proffesional, before I have to force you."

"Ooh, threatening," Kurama chided, earning a growl from his partner. A few minutes pass, and Kurama starts to realize the strange fluctuations in Hiei's enegry,"Hiei...?" he asked, paying his full attention to the small youkai. Hiei has one palm pressed against the wall, and was looking down at the dirt,"Hiei, are you alright?" the fox asked, taking a few steps forward.

"Of course I am," Hiei's voice cracked, showing otherwise. Kurama touched Hiei's shoulder, and it went limp as Hiei fell full-on into Kurama's grasp, unconcious,"HIEI!"

THISISTHENDOFTHISCHAPTER

Dun, dun, DUN!

What's wrong with Hiei-chan? Has he snorted too much? Heeh, hee... Maybe.

Review, please, and state your pairing, for this is your last chance!


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